Once More, with Feeling
by PerditusFic
Summary: Things were going back to the Legends idea of normal after Mallus's defeat. But what was normal for Sara and Ava? Was this what they were now? Again? Or just a clone and an assassin cuddling ...like girlfriends do.


The peacefulness of the Waverider of all places should have had Ava wide awake after a few hours.

That's certainly how most of the legends slept – just on the edge of dreamland. Although it was no way to spend the night, it would explain why the Legends handled missions like they were running on no sleep and six cups of coffee but these days she'd only be a hypocrite for complaining about it.

Other than the soundlessness, something was different but so early her mind wasn't ready to think – let alone not take advantage of every last minute she could get. It was easy to fall back to sleep.

After a few more hours, her body couldn't handle the unusual silence. The only way Ava could get this much sleep, uninterrupted, was if she was at home. But her bed was bathed in the sunlight that shined through the windows. Most rooms on the ship didn't have skyline windows. Aside from the unsettling silence, that something different she hadn't been able to figure out earlier was still bothering her.

Her entire left side was becoming numb. So slowly that it was actually getting to be a bit painful.

Ava opened her eyes finally, warmth that only another human's presence could bring, registering in her mind. That's when her thoughts of being on the Waverider sounded a bit outrageous.

She had eased back into the little routine she'd had with the Legends before Sara had broken up with her. Not to mention the clone thing was still hard to swallow some days. Sara tried her best to help with that but Ava knew she wasn't easy to deal with. She gave her space.

But to be on the Waverider, in Sara's room – in Sara's bed – was a jump.

Her eyes connected with Sara's sleeping form very close to her. That numbing sensation was in her shoulder and it stung to move because her arm was already so numb it could've been dead to the world. She lifted up as much as she could to see her hand was stick out from under Sara's body.

She almost laughed because her arm and hand were trapped. The pulsing veins were showing intensely and screaming for oxygen.

Once that initial reaction wore off, any amusement she had went away. It had only been two weeks since the team had returned from Aruba with Constantine in tow. Nowhere in anyone's plan – except Gary's – did they agree to being this cozy. The real surprise was that it didn't bother her beyond that. Like she expected to get comfortable again.

Was this what they were? What did 'this' mean for them?

"Sara?" The other woman incoherently mumbled something, scooting closer to her as if their bodies weren't already melded together. Ava tried to tug her arm free but came up empty. "We shouldn't be-"

"Shh," Sara murmured, pressing her finger to Ava's lips. "Sleep."

Ava leaned away from her finger, raising an eyebrow at the smirk on her face. When she tried to get up, and force Sara off her poor oxygen deprived arm, Sara moved even closer. She slipped her hand under her shirt and Ava jumped from the cold of her skin.

"Sara-"

"Stay. I'm cold when you're not here."

"That's the problem. I shouldn't be here." The other woman mumbled something into her collarbone and her hand slipped even further down her back under the waistband of her shorts. She gasped in surprise at the intrusion, while not entirely unwelcome, surprised. "Sara …what are you doing?"

Sara cracked an eye open, met with conflict and confusion on Ava's face. Then she opened both her eyes fully. "What's wrong?"

"What are you doing? Why?"

"It's called cuddling. And I already explained that I'm cold and you need to keep me warm."

"So, we're cuddling now?"

"Sure."

"Sure?" Ava asked. At her movement, Sara let her arm go free as she sat up with Ava. "That's all you have to say. It's been …so much …"

"Ava." She reached out cupping Ava's face with her much warmer right hand. "I already told you how I feel about you. No matter what you're still my Ava. I'm doing everything I can. I'm just waiting around until the day you believe me."

"I know …"

"I don't like to make things about me. You have more important things to deal with than me. But I kind of was expecting that …you know back when we were fighting Mallus that ..." Sara twisted one of her rings around on her finger. "Nevermind."

"You mean, before Ray interrupted?"

"Don't worry about it, Ava."

"No." Ava closed her eyes for a moment and reached out for Sara's wrist. "We need to talk about this."

"No, we don't. Your happiness comes first and I know you have to deal with …you know. I don't know what you're going through but it's bigger than-"

"I love you, too," Ava said, "I'm not sure about of lot of things, including myself but part of what makes me believe I'm real is you. My love for you isn't manufactured. It can't be."

Sara raised an eyebrow at her, "So does this mean you want to get back together?"

Ava flexed her fingers, the warmth and feeling having come back as they talked. She looked up at Sara's hopeful eyes. The woman expressed how much of a mistake it was to break up with her in the first place. Those times she apologized without much context was clear to her now.

"I think I can handle that."

The smile on Sara's face was one for the books. But Ava only had a moment to savor it before the woman pounced on her. "Welcome back," Sara said, leaning down to kiss her.

"Is this spot still reserved?"

"Only for you."


End file.
